Turnbutton-fastener



D. BOURQUE.

v I TURNBUTTON FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1919.

1,335,363. 1 3 PatentedMar. 30,1920.

ll lk UNITED sT TEs PATENT orricn.

DAVID, BOUBQUE, or AMESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR To G. w. J. MURPHY COMPANY, or AMESBURYLMASSACHUSETTIS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHU- TURNBUTTON-FASTENER.

Application filed March 19, 1919. Serial ll'o. 283,575;

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, DAVID BoUR Un, a c1t1- zen of the United States, and a resident of Amesbury, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Turnbutton-Fasteners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts. 7

This invention relates to turn button fasteners and the purpose is to provide certain improvements of construction whereby the action of such fasteners may be more reliable and uniform.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a turn button fastener of known type, but embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4: is a bottom plan view of the base portion of the fastener.

Referring to the drawings, I have there shown a turn button fastener of known type adapted to be utilized with a suitable eyelet, not shown, and embodying in its construction a hollow base portion 5 pressed to form from sheet metal, the base portion having suitable provision, herein exemplified by the flange 7 for attaching it to a support and a hollow housing 9 preferably of oblong or elliptical plan, as illustrated by Figs. 3 and &. Rotatably mounted on the base is the button or head 11 swiveled centrally thereon by means of a pin 13 passing through the opening 15 in the housing 9 and entering the head, as best shown in Fig. 2. Suitable spring means are utilized to hold the head 11 in contact with the base portion and herein I have shown a usual construction comprising a helical spring 17 within the hollow housing 9 and interposed between the inside of the outer wall thereof and the headed portion of the pin 13.

As will be well understood, when the head 1 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lIEtI'. 30, 1920- traversing position and will overlie the sides of the eyelet and hold it in encircling relation on the base. To maintain the headin its adjusted position, the \vall'of the housing I being separated by raised portions 3 23 When the head is seated in the groove 19 (Fig. 3') and it is turned to traversing position, it rides up over the separating ridges 23, compressing the Spring 17, and then snaps .down into the groove 21 under the influence of the spring.

Referring to Fig. 4:, since the base portion 5 is made of sheet metal of practically uniform thickness, the inner surface thereof presents rounded ridges 19' and 21 opposite the grooves 19 and 21 at the outer side and having crest portions correspondingto the deepest portions of these grooves. These ridges are separated by depressions 23 corresponding to the exterior ridges 23.

In accordance with my invention I so form the base that the projections 23 which define the intersecting grooves 19 and 21 do not extend to the central opening 15 but terminate short thereof, and there is thus provided, encircling this opening, a flat annular zone 25 which presents interiorly, as shown in Fig. 1, a plane bearing for the terminal turn or spire of the helical spring 17. It will be understood that if the ridges 19 and 21", formed at the interior of the base by the grooves at the exterior, and also the separatin depressions 23 extended to the margin of the opening, the zone immediately surrounding this portion would be undulating and if in the turning of the head the spring turned somewhat on the interior of the base, it would be compressed as it rode upon one of the ridge portions. Further more, in the assembly of the fastener, which is customarily effected by driving the pin 13 with the spring 17 in position thereon through the opening in the base and into the head, no provision is made for positioning the end of the spring. If it were in contact with a ridge 19 or 21 extending to the mar gin of the opening, it would be compressed by the driving member much more than if it were opposite a depressed portion corresponding to one of the projecting portions 23 at the exterior of the fastener. Such a fastener would be comparatively difficult to turn and might indeed stick altogether. By providing-the annular zone the head is properly maintained in its two adjusted positions while the tension placed upon the spring in assembly is always the same. In

addition, a bearing is provided on which the helical spring encircling the stem and having a bearin on the base adjacent the opening, the wal of the base being bent to provide intersecting grooves to receive the'head in different positions, said grooves defining ridges between them, which ridges terminate outwardly of the opening whereby to provide a-flat bearing for the spring;

2. A turn button fastener comprising a hollow base having a wall portion bent to provide grooves ahead swiveled on said base adapted to seat in the grooves,,a spring in the hollow of the base connectedv to said head to seat the same, said base presenting interiorly a fiat annular bearing on which the springmay turn withoutchange of tension.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DAVID B-oU oUE, 

